Durham Region, Ontario

Durham Region (2003 population 525,000) is a regional political area located east of Toronto, Ontario. It has an area of approximately 2,500 square kilometers and includes the municipalities of Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Whitby, Clarington Uxbridge Township[?], Scugog Township[?] and Brock Township[?].

Durham Region was established in 1974 as one of a number of new "regional" governments in the Province of Ontario, primarly centred around fast growing Toronto. Durham Region encompasses areas that were previously part of Ontario County and Durham County.

The southern portion of the region, adjacent to Lake Ontario is primarily urban in nature, and is essentailly part of Toronto's extened suburbs. The northern area encompasses rural areas and small towns.

Major employers include General Motors of Canada[?], Ontario Power Generation[?], Lakeridge Health System[?], Durham College[?], University of Ontario Institute of Technology[?] and many smaller component and transportation firms supplying the automotive industry.

The Canadian headquarters of General Motors, Volkswagen, and BMW are all located in the region. The automotive industry is especially concentrated in Oshawa.